Approaches proposed in the current literature for performing assessment are mainly domain-specific assessment tools along with general assessment tools.
Domain-Specific Assessment Tools include techniques for assessing functional ability, such as Activity of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL) assessment, Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13), and Time Get Up and Go (GUG) evaluation. Other domain-specific assessment tools include techniques for assessing mental health, such as Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Geriatric Depression Scale, and Mini Mental State Exam. In addition, assessment tools can assess nutrition, such as Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and physical health, such as Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatrics.
General Assessment Tools include G-8 Geriatric screening tool which assesses food intake difficulties, weight loss, mobility, neuropsychological problems, BMI, daily prescription drug, self-evaluation of health, age. Another general assessment tool is Triage Risk Screening tool (TRST) for patients over 75 years old; TRST evaluates a patient's history of cognitive impairment, difficult walking/transferring/recent falls, recent ED or hospitalization, lives along/no caregiver, ED staff recommendation.
Yet another general assessment tool is Groningen Frailty Index (GFI) which assesses a patient's mobility, vision, hearing, nutrition, comorbidity, cognition, psychosocial conditions, and physical fitness. Another general assessment tool is Barber screening tool which assesses whether a patient could live alone, could call for help, must depend on someone for regular help, is able to have hot meal, is confined to home, has health concern(s), such as vision or hearing issues, and/or recent hospitalization.
However, all presently known assessment tools have at least the following three limitations. First, all are based on patients' current condition, and do not serve as predictive tools. Second, none of these tools consider domain association. Third, none of these tools identify risk factors or provide future assessments.